In some data networks, such as InfiniBand and Data Center Ethernet, network interface controllers (NICs) can be configured to exchange data between network nodes by remote direct memory access (RDMA). RDMA requests transmitted by an initiating node specify an address in the host memory of the responding node to which the NIC is to write data or from which the NIC is to read data. RDMA write requests cause the responder to write data to a memory address at its own end of the link, whereas RDMA read requests cause the responder to read data from a memory address and return it to the requester. The responding NIC carries out these write and read operations to and from the host memory without direct involvement by the host processor of the responding node. Software applications running on the host processor are likewise able to access the data in the host memory.
Separate and apart from the host memory, the NIC may have its own memory. For example, U.S. Patent Application Publication 2011/0029650 describes a method and system for host independent platform diagnostics in which a network controller may comprise a NIC, and a network memory may comprise suitable logic, circuitry, interfaces, and/or code that may enable buffering, storage and/or retrieval of data and/or code used and/or processed by the network controller. As another example, U.S. Patent Application Publication 2014/0173154 describes a network interface with logging, in which a NIC is configured to receive data, to transmit data, and to send data for logging, and a memory log, comprising non-volatile memory (NVM) coupled to the NIC, is configured to write the data sent for logging from the NIC. As a further example, U.S. Pat. No. 8,051,212 describes a network interface adapter, which holds a response database (RDB) in an off-chip memory, which is accessed using a double-data-rate memory controller, rather than via the system bus. Additionally or alternatively, the RDB may be held in system memory.